transportation

Santa Cruz Transportation Profile

Transportation is a pressing issue in our community. It effects people's access to work and school, which can be either helpful or harmful to the economic vitality of Santa Cruz. While the Chamber advocates for the usage of multi-modal transportation, we are also committed to recognizing and respecting the needs of automobile drivers.

​Between 2010 and 2014, it has been estimated that 70% of Santa Cruz County Workers drove to work, with roughly 35% of them commuting out of the county. The average commute time for all Santa Cruz commuters was 26 minutes. As a majority of the work-related travel in Santa Cruz is within a two mile radius, the commute time of the 22% of people that reported to traveling over 10 miles to work is likely understated in this average.

According to the Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission, the majority of commuters drive to work alone, with only 7.9% carpooling and 7.4% utilizing public transit. This clearly shows the a necessity for increasing roadway capacities and safety measures, while also maintaining the valuable highway infrastructure that is already available to us.